The Outcast and the Rebel
by Canon Archives
Summary: Scorpius Malfoy and Rose Weasley head off to Hogwarts for their first year.
1. The Outcast

**Hello all! This story is still a work in progress, but I hope that more chapters will come. It begins during the epilogue scene from Scorpius' POV and continues into the Next Gen's first year at Hogwarts. I hope you like it!**

 **(Sidenote: Please read my Sorting Hat song, I am so proud of it.)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters you know in this story.**

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Scorpius stood nervously on Platform 9 ¾ with his parents, about to board the train to Hogwarts for the first time ever. There were so many students bustling around the platform with their trunks. They all looked overjoyed to be going to school. Scorpius, on the other hand, was dreading it.

His father squatted down so that they were face to face and squeezed his shoulders. "Are you ready?" He asked.

Scorpius took a breath and nodded. "Just nervous."

His dad's jaw tightened. "You are going to this school to learn," he reminded him sternly. "That is _it_."

Scorpius nodded again. "I know."

"You will work hard. You will excel in all of your classes. And most importantly, you will not let anyone make you feel lesser than anyone else." He shook Scorpius gently. "Do you understand me? You stand up to people when they hurt you. Okay?"

"Yes, Dad," Scorpius responded.

His dad nodded in satisfaction and stood up. "Good."

Scorpius gave his mum a hug. "Try to make friends, love," she whispered. "And try to have fun."

Uncertain that he could succeed at either of those things, Scorpius said nothing. Waving to his parents one last time, he pulled his trunk onto the train.

Scorpius dragged his trunk passed the front compartments to the farthest one in the back. Confirming that it was empty, he went inside and closed the door.

He sat down by the window and leaned his back against it with his feet up. Pulling out a spell book, he kept a close watch on the door, daring anyone who walked by to come inside the compartment he had claimed.

Eventually the whistle blew and the train headed on its way to Hogwarts. Scorpius stayed in the empty compartment the entire trip. When they finally arrived at the station, he decided it was a very successful train ride. So far, no issues. Now came the next challenge.

Scorpius waited for the rest of the car to empty out before leaving his back compartment. Finally, the coast was clear, so he carried his trunk out onto the platform.

"First years!" Someone shouted a little ways away. "First years this way!"

Scorpius followed the crowd of younger students to the boats on the lake. Groups of first years filled the boats quickly, and Scorpius found himself standing next to a giant, burly man with a big gray beard.

The man looked down at him and gave him a jolly smile. "Are y'not gettin' in a boat?" he asked in a booming voice. Scorpius glanced at the boats already on the lake. "You can ride wit me," the man offered, pointing to an empty boat left on the dock.

Scorpius looked up at him again. "Okay," he nodded. It was a better option than spending an awkward boat ride with people who would ask him nosy questions about himself, and then dis him once they knew who he was.

The man pulled up the small boat and sat himself down clumsily into the seat. He took up most of the space, and Scorpius worried the boat wouldn't hold up with his weight. "Uh… sorry," he said to the man, trying not to sound too rude. "Is there a weight limit on these things?"

Luckily he laughed. "Ah, don't worry," he assured him. "I've done this for many years. More than I am willing to admit. And besides," he continued as Scorpius carefully found himself a place to squeeze into the boat. "Yer so light it probably won't even know yer in it," the man chuckled, and the boat slowly began to move across the lake.

"The name's Hagrid," the man introduced himself. "Gamekeeper at Hogwarts."

"What is a Gamekeeper?" Scorpius asked, strategically avoiding giving his own name. "Is that a faculty position?"

"Nah, I'm no' a professor," Hagrid said. "I am the right-hand man for the Headmistress. Run important errands and do secret business fer the school."

"Cool," Scorpius said. "What kind of secret business?"

"Ah!" Hagrid exclaimed. "If I told yer it wouldn't be a secret, now would it?" He winked.

The lights of the castle came into view and Scorpius could now see most of the school grounds. "The castle is mighty beautiful, i'n'it?" Hagrid commented, admiring the view up ahead.

"Yeah," Scorpius replied unenthusiastically. Sure, it was pretty glorious, but to him it looked more like an isolated prison. He was going to be ridiculed by a student body who collectively agreed that he and his family were traitors. As Scorpius' father always told him, during the Wizarding War all were forced to choose a side. And because Scorpius' father didn't, he ended up betraying everyone.

They finally reached the other side of the lake and the first years were shuffled into the castle to the Great Hall. Scorpius stayed far in the back of the crowd. At the Great Hall entrance, a man stood on the top of the stairs.

"Welcome, first years," he greeted them. "My name is Professor Longbottom. In just a moment, you will all be sorted into one of four Houses at the school: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin." The crowd began mumbling and Scorpius scooted passed some students to the far right corner of the group in order to get a better view.

"Gryffindor is the house you want to be in," Scorpius heard a boy say.

"I think I'll be in Ravenclaw," a girl declared.

"Just so long as I'm not a Slytherin, it will be fine."

Scorpius settled for a spot next to a column, where he could see without being noticed.

"Each House has a different set of characteristics that are valued," the professor continued. "The Sorting Hat will decide which House fits your personality best. By sorting everyone into these Houses, the hope is that everyone will find their place at this school and feel welcomed." The professor gestured for them to follow him. "Let's head on inside."

They were all led into the grand room, down the long hall to the front where a podium stood. A floppy black hat sat on top of a wooden stool. All the older students were already seated at the tables around them, and several cheered when the first years came in. Scorpius glanced nervously at the Slytherin table. There were a few people he recognized because his dad knew their parents, but none whom Scorpius particularly liked. He knew they would all be expecting him to join Slytherin – not that it would really make them like him any better. It would just be a way to maybe prove himself, and show that the Malfoy family hadn't lost all its status after the Wizarding War.

He turned to look at the students at the Gryffindor table. Scorpius recognized the Weasley-Potter crew immediately, not only because of the concentration of red hair, but also because they were being the most loud and obnoxious as they cheered. Scorpius wondered how many more of them were going to keep arriving at this school. They already took up an entire section of the long table.

The room quieted, and the hat on the stool suddenly burst out into song:

 _Way back before you were born,_

 _When all of you were wee,_

 _A generation of young rebels_

 _Thought education was key._

 _They rose above the old ways_

 _Of the established Ministry,_

 _And banded together to create something new:_

 _A School of Wizardry!_

 _The four founders were different,_

 _But all had the same goal;_

 _They wanted young witches and wizards_

 _To learn about the magic hidden in their souls._

 _Godric Gryffindor taught students who were brave,_

 _Fearless, daring, and strong;_

 _Rowena Ravenclaw valued hard-work and intellect,_

 _And those unafraid to be wrong._

 _Salazar Slytherin thought ambition was best,_

 _Along with cunning and sly;_

 _Helena Hufflepuff was accepting and loyal,_

 _Teaching anyone willing to try._

 _They created independent houses_

 _Each unique in their own mission,_

 _And they gave me the role of making_

 _A very important decision._

 _My job is to listen to your heart,_

 _And decipher just who you are._

 _Once that is done_

 _I'll know just what to do,_

 _And where you end up you'll go far!_

The crowd clapped on cue when the hat finished singing and Professor Longbottom began the Sorting Ceremony, calling out names in alphabetical order by last name. Scorpius clenched his jaw. He had no idea what House he belonged in.

It was not something he ever mentioned at home. In fact, it was a topic of conversation that no one at home had wished to discuss. Scorpius didn't know which House his parents thought he belonged in, and he never told them how uncertain he was about it. He just had a feeling that no matter where he ended up his father would be disappointed.

If he went Gryffindor his father would think he was another rash, stupid, big-headed prat like the Weasley-Potter family. If he went Slytherin his father would think he was cowardly like his grandfather. And if he went Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff his father would complain that his house was completely unnoteworthy and doesn't develop personal character.

So Scorpius found himself in a pretty sticky conundrum. Basically, he was doomed to be unhappy no matter what the Sorting Hat decided.

Students were gradually sorted into Houses, and each House cheered when they received a new member. Finally, the professor reached the 'M' surnames and 'Malfoy' was called.

The room hushed. Reminding himself of what his father had told him before he left, Scorpius exhaled and walked determinedly up to the podium. He held his head up confidently, and glared daringly at anyone who looked at him. Whatever nasty things they were all thinking, Scorpius didn't want to hear it. Someone snickered, and Scorpius whipped his head towards the sound. He sent daggers at a boy in the front row, and the boy's smirk quickly dropped. Scorpius smiled internally as he sat down on the stool. Professor Longbottom placed the hat on his head.

"Ah! A Malfoy!" the hat exclaimed immediately. "You must be – hold on – hmm…" The hat murmured. "My, my, this is a difficult one… How very interesting…"

Scorpius closed his eyes and hoped it would just decide already. He hated drama.

"You are very intelligent and ambitious, and certainly possess the ability to be cunning," the hat noted. "But I also sense great courage and rebelliousness in your heart. You think independently of others, and do not like following the herd." The hat continued to grumble indecisively. "Well, I must put you somewhere, so… GRYFFINDOR!"

There was a loud gasp once the hat had announced its decision. The room fell so silent you could hear a pin drop. Scorpius took a shaky breath as Professor Longbottom removed the hat from his head. A loud clap echoed throughout the hall and Scorpius along with many others turned toward the sound to see a redheaded girl in the front row. She stopped clapping abruptly when she realized no one else had done the same. She glanced around in confusion.

Scorpius glanced up at Professor Longbottom, who smiled encouragingly at him. He also began clapping, and the rest of the staff followed in suit. Scorpius made his way over to the Gryffindor table as the whole room clapped halfheartedly. Everyone seemed to be judging him. Turning his back to his so-called House, Scorpius sat down at the edge of the table in annoyance. What a fantastic beginning of the school year _this_ was turning out to be.

After the Sorting Ceremony ended, Headmistress McGonagall said a few welcoming words, and food appeared on the table. Scorpius ate alone, which honestly, he was okay with. Every time someone walked by him, they would whisper to one another. He could feel the stares from other tables. Some Slytherins passed by and snickered.

"Well, well," a slightly older Slytherin boy came up to him. "The first lion cub from the Malfoy line." Scorpius recognized him, and remembered he was a Rookwood. Zavier Rookwood. He was accompanied by a girl Scorpius did not know. "Like your father, you have chosen to conform to the winning party," he sneered. "How _brave_ of you," he cooed sarcastically.

Scorpius pierced him with his eyes, carefully staying cool. "And like _your_ father, you seek conflict," Scorpius shot back. "How _ambitious_ of you," he imitated his sarcastic tone.

That comment angered Rookwood, and Scorpius met his intimidating gaze. "Listen, Malfoy," he warned. "You think you are so special, being an arrogant Gryffindor and all, but just remember this –" Rookwood leaned close to Scorpius' face. "You are a Malfoy. And Malfoys can _never_ become lions. All you have done today is betray and anger your fellow snakes. And that means that we won't help you when the lions attack."

Rookwood turned on his heel and left the Great Hall. Scorpius watched him go, and then looked over at all the Gryffindors from whom he had removed himself. Unfortunately, he had a feeling that Rookwood may very well be right.

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After dinner, Scorpius followed the Gryffindor House up to the Gryffindor tower. Like before, he stayed safely in the back of the group. A chubby black boy was speaking in hushed tones to a small Asian girl in front of him.

"Honestly, the Sorting Hat has never sorted a student wrongly before."

Scorpius' ears perked up but he kept his head down, trying not to seem like he was eavesdropping.

"I don't know," the girl responded. "Maybe the hat is getting worn out. It has been around literally since the school was founded. You'd think eventually it might go bonkers."

Scorpius scowled. That was him, alright – the wrongly-sorted student. The kid who finally made the Sorting Hat go bonkers. Wonderful.

They reached the portrait hole and the prefect (who Scorpius suspected was a part of the Weasley-Potter cult) gave the Fat Lady the password. Everyone filed inside.

"Girl's dormitory is to the right, boy's dormitory is to the left," the prefect announced. "Let me know if anyone needs help settling in."

This was the part Scorpius knew would be the most complicated. Roommates. Maybe he would just sleep downstairs on the couch. That didn't seem like a bad idea.

He was about to head up the stairs when he thought he heard someone near him say 'Slytherin.' Scorpius turned to see who was talking, and spotted that same redheaded girl who had awkwardly tried to clap when he was sorted. She was talking to a short, dark-haired boy next to her.

"I still don't understand what the big deal is," the girl hissed. "I liked Mary when we met her on the train, and I don't see why I'm not allowed to like her now."

Scorpius wandered as nonchalantly as possible behind a bookcase to listen. They had not seen him.

"Look," the boy said. "All I know is that people who are in Slytherin are nasty people. Mary was hanging around that Goyle kid, who comes from a long line of Death Eaters, and I don't think it's smart to go hanging around them."

" _Vince_ ," the girl corrected him, "also seemed like a perfectly nice guy. I'm just trying to make friends here."

"Yeah well make friends with people who aren't muggle-haters," the boy snapped. "And that includes that creepy outcast, Malfoy."

"You haven't even talked to him!" The girl exclaimed. It sounded like the boy had begun climbing the stairs to the dormitories. "And you liked Mary before she was sorted!" The girl shouted. She let out an agitated grunt and stomped up the stairs as well.

He waited until there was silence, and then Scorpius let out a breath. _Well that was interesting_. Maybe there was someone at this school he could be friends with.

He immediately laughed at himself. Friends. _Ha_.

Bucking up whatever courage he supposedly had, Scorpius left his hiding place and made his way up the stairs to meet his new roommates – or more like _doom_ -mates.

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 **Please leave a review and let me know what you think of little Scorpius! Rose is coming in the next chapter :)**


	2. The Rebel

Rose Weasley's first night at Hogwarts was a long and tiring one.

Not that she didn't love it here! The train ride and the evening had been quite lovely, and very exciting. But now, it was 5:30 in the morning and one of her roommates, Pamela, _would not stop snoring_.

It's not like Rose hadn't dealt with snorers before. Her Dad snored, her brother snored, and sometimes her mother snored – but this girl didn't just snore. She _snotted_ every breath! Honestly, she sounded like she was choking on her own mucus. It was driving Rose mad.

Huffing loudly, Rose finally sat up. Through the window shade, Rose could tell that the sky had lightened at least a little. She rubbed her eyes and thought for a moment about whether or not she should lie down again.

Pamela let out another disgusting snot.

Nope! It was morning enough!

Rose threw a jacket over her matching plaid pajamas, slipped on a pair of sandals, and headed down the stairs away from the horribly unpleasant sounds of Pamela. She was halfway down the steps when she heard the rustling of papers coming from the common room. Rose paused.

Why was someone else was up so early? Maybe they had an annoyingly loud roommate as well.

There was a soft cough and the sound of a zipper. A dim light was on. Rose moved as quietly as she could to the bottom of the staircase and peeked around the corner into the common room.

There was a boy sitting on one of the couches by the fireplace. Rose could only see the back of his blonde head. He picked up his bookbag and stood up. As he began turning around Rose quickly hid herself on the corner. She heard him moving, and the portrait hole opened and closed. Then it was silent.

Rose peeked around the corner again and saw no one. The couch the boy had been sitting on was covered in blankets, and it looked like maybe he had slept there. Clearly someone was having an even rougher night than she was.

Quickly, Rose glided across the common room to the portrait hole. Taking one more look behind her, she slipped out herself.

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Rose followed the boy along the deserted corridors, keeping a safe distance so that he wouldn't hear or see her. She finally saw him disappear into the Astronomy Tower, and Rose huffed in puzzlement. What was this guy up to?

There was a low bang behind her and she whipped her head towards the noise. Hastily, Rose snuck over to the Astronomy Tower and closed the door behind her. She climbed the narrow winding staircase, attempting to tiptoe but moving too quickly to really be very quiet. Her heart was pounding too much from the excitement of her little adventure. When she reached the top of the stairs, she forced herself to catch her breath.

The crisp morning air hit Rose's face and she smiled. The sun was just coming up over the horizon. She went over to one of the open arches and leaned over the railing to look at the beautiful view of the Hogwarts grounds. Birds chirped in the nearby trees. It was like a little secret garden up here, with all the vines swirling around the columns and down the castle walls. Beyond the green lush was the vast lake, and beyond that and to the right Rose could see the quidditch pitch in the distance.

"Wow," Rose breathed, taking in the wondrous view.

Rose heard paper rustling again, and she remembered why she had come up here. Following the sound, she walked slowly around the circle, gliding her hand along the railing as she went.

She finally spotted him, the same blonde boy as before. He was sitting on the ground leaning against a column with a school book in his lap. He looked very peaceful and focused, and Rose smiled to herself.

"Hello," she greeted him, breaking the silence.

The boy jumped at least six inches off the ground, clumsily throwing the book off his lap. He almost toppled over but caught himself before looking up at her in surprise. Rose held in a very well-deserved laugh.

"Gah," he exhaled in recovery. "Merlin, you scared me," he said, adjusting so he was sitting upright.

"I can see that," Rose responded in amusement. "I apologize, that was not my intention."

The boy, now recovered, looked at her again, this time wearily. He tensed, as if to brace himself for something.

Rose shifted awkwardly. "Why are you up so early?" She grimaced at her own lack of eloquence and conversation skills.

"Why are you?" He shot back quickly. The defensive tone took her by surprise.

"Uh," she looked at him quizzically, very confused by his odd behavior and trying to figure out how to respond to it. "I couldn't sleep," she answered.

He relaxed his shoulders a little but kept his eyes on her. "Me neither."

Rose shrugged and looked down. "My roommate snores like a fork stuck in a garbage disposal," Rose gave a small laugh at her analogy. When she looked back up, the boy had raised one eyebrow high on his forehead, clearly having absolutely no clue what she just said.

"Er – she's… uh… loud," Rose lamely tried to re-explain, clearing her throat. She shifted on her feet again.

The boy leaned forward, placing his arms against his bent knees. His eyebrows scrunched together and he watched her very curiously, just waiting to see what she was going to do next.

Rose brushed a piece of her thick red hair behind her ear and could feel herself blush scarlet.

"What, exactly," the boy asked, genuinely perplexed, "are you _doing_ here?"

"I don't know," Rose answered quickly. She was wondering that same thing herself. "I followed you. I don't know why."

The boy smirked. He seemed highly, _highly_ amused by her embarrassment.

Rose suddenly realized that she recognized this boy. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "You're Scorpius Malfoy, the boy everyone's been saying should have been…" His expression went dark so suddenly Rose instantly realized her mistake. "I'm sorry," she tried to save herself. "That's not at all why I followed you here, I mean I didn't even realize it until… I mean not that… I mean…" Rose bit her tongue hard. _Great recovery, Rose_.

The boy, Scorpius, had leaned back up against the column and was now glaring at her. The intensity of his gray eyes was a bit intimidating.

"I came up here to study," he said indignantly. "I was looking for some peace and quiet?" He picked up his book pointedly from the ground. "'Kay I don't know who you are, and clearly neither one of us knows why you came up here, but you're disturbing me, so I'm asking you to leave."

Rose looked down guiltily and held up her hands. "Sorry," she murmured. She obediently turned away and began walking along the circle the way she came, running her hand gently against the railing again.

Rose didn't feel like going back down though. It was lovely up here on the Astronomy Tower. So instead, she walked to the opposite end of the circle and leaned against the railing, looking out towards Hagrid's hut and the Forbidden Forest. The sun had risen some now, and Rose's stomach growled. The Great Hall was probably opening soon for breakfast, and Rose had class. She had compared schedules with Mary yesterday and knew that she had to wait until potions to see her in the afternoon.

Mary. Albus had been so stubborn about that last night! Mary had been sorted into Slytherin, and according to Al's logic, that meant Rose couldn't be friendly to her anymore. But Rose liked Mary! She kind of wanted to become friends with her. The whole thing just didn't make sense to Rose. Vince was nice too. Their being in Slytherin having any relevance to her friendship with them just seemed silly.

There was a loud thud next to her and Rose jumped, pulling her abruptly out of her deep thoughts. She looked up and saw Scorpius smirking at her. He held his closed book in his hand.

"I scared _you_ that time," he said.

Rose placed a hand on her hip. "Yes, you did," she replied.

He looked at her curiously again and tilted his head slightly. "Who _are_ you?" he asked.

Rose smiled. "I thought you were _studying_ and wanted me to go away," she countered without answering his question.

He nodded. "I was."

Rose crossed her arms and turned away him. "Well now _you_ are disturbing _me_ in my peaceful thoughts," she lifted her chin snootily. "I was just enjoying the view," she gestured to the forest.

He grinned at her, knowing that she didn't mean it. She turned to face him again and held out her hand. "I'm Rose Weasley," she introduced herself.

"Ah," he laughed ironically without taking her hand. "The lion cult," he nodded, as if she just clarified everything.

"Excuse me?" Rose asked, offended. "Is that an insult?"

He looked at her wide-eyed. "Uh – its… er… I mean…"

Rose raised her eyebrows, waiting for him to fess up. It was his turn to look guilty.

"Sorry," he apologized, wincing. "Force of habit, just from… family friends, and such…"

Rose watched him thoughtfully for a moment. Since the Malfoy kid had gotten sorted into Gryffindor, she was hearing from everyone about how he came from a family of renowned Death Eaters, and how his father believed muggle-borns and half-bloods were monstrosities, and that there had never been a Malfoy to ever be sorted outside of Slytherin House. And Albus made sure to remind Rose that Weasleys and Malfoys had been bitter rivals for generations and that she had better stay away from this one, because he was trouble.

But Scorpius Malfoy did not seem to Rose to meet any of these assumptions. From what she could tell, he did everything he could to stay away from people and wanted as little conflict as possible. If the kid was going to stir up trouble he would have done so by now. Honestly, he just seemed lonely. Why else would he seek out the most isolated part of the castle and start studying before classes had even begun?

"Scorpius," Rose asked curiously. "Do _you_ think the Sorting Hat made some sort of mistake?"

His eyes became gloomy again and he leaned against the railing next to her. "I don't think the Sorting means anything," he answered drily. "Everyone else just does."

The clocktower suddenly chimed loudly, causing both of them to jump. Rose looked at Scorpius and they exchanged smiles.

"I'm starving," Rose said. "Let's get some breakfast."

Scorpius shifted on his feet, looking hesitant. "I'm actually not that hungry," he told her casually. "I think I may stay up here a while longer."

Rose tilted her head. "Oh, okay." She walked over to the staircase to go back down, but paused, trying to decide if she wanted to wait for him.

He waved her ahead. "Classes don't start for another two hours. I'll grab something to eat in a bit," he insisted.

Deciding not to push it, Rose nodded and headed down to breakfast on her own.

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 **Once again, please leave a review! I really, really appreciate your thoughts about the characters.**


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